It's Been Awhile.

Well hello there!

I can't believe the last time I blogged was (*gasp*) June 3... 2013! What the what?

So much has happened since then... I:

• visited Helsinki (twice!), Maastricht, Rotterdam and last but not least, Hamburg (I totally fell in love with this ultra hip & super friendly city)
• saw a lot of great films and read some amazing books (have you read this one yet? If not... DO IT. NOW.)
• fell in love with Prague (hipster) cafés. There's so many cool cafés popping up all over the city - they're my new obsession! If you'd like to keep up with my café gallivanting, check out my Instagram. A word of warning: if you're not into latte art, don't even think of clicking on the latter link
• got into pilates, power yoga and working out in general. While I may never be a true gym rat, I'm totally enjoying keeping fit (I'm also currently trying to put together the perfect fitness wardrobe... not very wallet-friendly, let me tell ya!)

Why have I been gone for so long? I guess I just needed a (looong) break from blogging. I gotta admit, I don't read as many blogs as I used to. I still love the blogosphere, but I'm more careful with what I check out on a daily basis.

Having said that, I am super excited to be back. I already have a few posts lined up, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that at least some of you haven't given up on me. Till next time... or should I say, see you soon? :)

New World

Today I visited two palaces in the National Gallery (free this weekend :) and afterwards I decided to go for a walk in 'Nový Svět' ('New World' in English). Nový Svět is an area close to the Prague Castle - it's composed of narrow streets and picturesque houses. I'm such a sucker for old street lamps, cobblestones and cozy little houses, so I adore Nový Svět. I'm really proud of the photos I took as well - not because they are exceptional - my Photoshop skills are still non-existent - but because I managed to pry myself away from my phone & Instagram and actually took the above photos with my *gasp* CAMERA. I still love you, my dear IXUS...

I love how the streets were super empty and the street lamps were just being switched on. Really magical. Next week, I want to go back and actually visit the café you can see in the last picture. It's got a fireplace as well! 

Baby, It's Cold Outside.

Today I got my wish - snow! It's been snowing for a few hours now and Prague suddenly looks completely different. The Old Town especially looks really magical (except for Old Town Square.. I'll never be a fan of the Christmas market there, wayyy too touristy & crowded). I met up with my friend Jitka in the afternoon and we went to a cozy little cafe close to the Charles Bridge. Afterwards, I just had to snap some super touristy pics on said bridge. The pic of my friend and I was taken by a really funny man who first insisted on taking a picture with me ('the photo will be really nice if I'm in it') and then finally offered to take a pic of the two us. :D All in all, I had a really cozy day today! 

What have you been up to?

P.S.: So many blogs have really cool Christmas posts this year, so here are some Christmas-themed links for your enjoyment:

Christmas in Copenhagen.

Fun gift ideas by Maiju, whom I interviewed a while back. 

DIY Christmas tree.

Brittany from The House that Lars Built has asked her favourite Scandinavian bloggers to share their personal Christmas traditions in her 'My Scandinavian Christmas' column. Every day leading up to Christmas, a different blogger shares their story.

Cool Christmas giveaway.

A really touching Christmas ad.

Aaaand... a thrifty Christmas gift guide. 

I'm still here!

Sorry for being off the radar this week! My friend Joke is visiting Prague so I've been hanging out with her, eating lots of yummy food, going to really cool exhibitions and going crazy over Skyfall & Daniel Craig videos on Youtube... just having a really good time! It's really nice having her here. :) The funny thing is, Joke (at times) seems to know Prague better than me... Ha :D So much for being the local who should know everything about their own city! 

The pics above showcase our fabulous Prague adventures:

1. Me in Choco Café aka the 'Death by Chocolate' place. I think this is the first picture of me on the blog, so.. hi! Nice to meet you! :)

2. More Choco Café goodness! Joke went for the 72% white hot chocolate with banana and strawberries. I was more of a sissy and decided to get the cocoa. It was still really rich though!

3. The famous John Lennon wall.

4. Love locks.

5. Joke and I near the National Theatre. We both got our hair done that day - hence the smiles!

6. Breakfast at Café Louvre today. Salmon croissant, fruit salad and fresh mint tea. Not too shabby!

7. Really cool exhibition in the Rudolfinum Gallery (remember I mentioned that I wanted to go see it in my very first post?) which showcases contemporary British painting. Some of the details on the paintings were really crazy!

(All the photos were taken by Joke, except the last one. I haven't been taking that many pictures, I always seem to forget about the fact that I have my camera with me these days!).

I guess I won't really be posting till Sunday, but I promise that I will make it up to everyone next week. I already have some posts lined up. :)  Have a nice weekend (almost there!). 

Laundry Cafe

Today I met up with a friend in a really cool cafe - it's called Prádelna Café, 'prádelna' meaning laundry. You can see the laundry theme in the last photo. :) This place is fast becoming one of my favourite spots in Prague - it's non-smoking (I really, really hope the Czech Republic will adopt the non-smoking policy ASAP), has a cozy interior (obviously the pics don't do it justice), and serves delicious and healthy food that won't break the bank. Plus it's located in a really nice neighbourhood, Vinohrady. If you're ever in Prague, I highly recommend you check it out.

Halloween Musings

Happy Halloween!! I'm a weeee bit late, but better late than never, right? I just wanted to share these pics of different pumpkin displays I've been seeing all over Prague. It's so cool to see that the 'pumpkin trend' is catching on here (although I know for a fact that a lot of Czech people don't like Halloween & its 'American' connotations).
I've been into Halloween ever since my family moved to Canada when I was 11 years old (we lived in Montreal for 5 years). I loved how people went all out with their Halloween decorations - everyone just seemed so genuinely excited about this holiday. It was awesome! This year, however, I'm not really in the Halloween spirit. I'll go to one Halloween party on Saturday and, well, that about sums up my Halloween plans. A bit sad, really. I just feel like if I still lived in Canada, I'd feel way more excited... or maybe I'm just getting old(er)? Hmmm...

P.S.: Here are 3 things which made me happy last week:

1. Finding out that my super cool friend is coming to Prague soon!!!
2. Going to the midnight premiere of Skyfall. AMAZING! Daniel Craig, I love you. Judi Dench, I think I love you more!
3. Finding out about new blogs: check out my new favourites, Elephantine and A Rosie Outlook.

Oh and before I forget... soon I'll be posting something really exciting! I don't want to give away too much, so stay tuned! :)

Stuck on the City

On Sunday I visited the Stuck on the City 'street art' exhibition at the Municipal Library of Prague. I was really excited about this exhibition because people have been raving about it and it's just been getting super good reviews. But I gotta say, I was a bit disappointed... I wasn't, for instance, aware of the fact that the exhibition constantly changes and that new artists contribute to it (this is why a few pieces were literally unfinished!). The best part was actually the kids' room, where children doodled on the walls. I wanted to share my pics though - I really like them! :)

Moleskine Store in Prague

A few days ago I visited the Moleskine store here in Prague and I was struck by how amazing the interior design was. I had actually already visited the store when it first opened about a year ago, but I didn't get to appreciate its full glory due to the fact that the place was PACKED. But when I visited the store this week I was actually the only customer there, and apart from checking out all the new additions to the Moleskine family, I got to admire the interior.

I really love the all-white theme as well the shelves which make the notebooks look like works of art. The drawings by young Czech artist Martin Kubát also give the place more character so that it's not 'just another Moleskine store'. The place comes complete with a hipster bike but sadly the latter isn't featured in the photos below. :)

I think a lot of Czech stores - and interiors in general - could learn from this place. I feel like a lot of stores here in Prague are super impersonal but I guess people are only just beginning to realize that visiting an original and nicely decorated place will make the customers want to stay that much longer.

And yes, I did conclude my visit with a purchase of a Moleskine notebook. Oops!

Photos by Dorota Špinková for Moleskine Czech Republic: 1, 2

Lazy Days

1. For those who come from nothing - street art here in Prague by Pasta Oner.

2. Lovely building in a narrow old street.

3. Got my business cards today! I'll be needing them for a super duper secret project I'm thinking of doing in the next couple of weeks. OK, it's not that big of a deal, but I'm excited. Stay tuned! :)

Hidden Treasures

After spending waaaay too much time in a bookstore today (I've got a serious book addiction... it's not even funny) I decided to walk home. The trams were way too crowded for my liking & I thought I could use the 'exercise' (ugh, I miss my Dutch bike... health benefits & convenience & coolness, all rolled into one!). On my way home I walked past a few buildings whose façades I always admire. In fact, I wanted to take a picture of said buildings quite a few times before, but I only got the chance today - I always try to carry my camera with me these days (trying to get in the professional blogger mode :). Check them out...

Relaxing evening

 

'Mother used to say that it meant Christopher was a nice name because it was a story about being kind and helpful, but I do not want my name to mean a story about being kind and helpful. I want my name to mean me.'

-Mark Haddon, 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time'

Architecture on a rainy day

Hi and welcome to my new blog! I have to say that starting a new blog is both exciting and daunting. I had a few blogs in the past (including a LiveJournal... good old days! I actually really enjoyed writing in my LiveJournal, it was quite cathartic). I also had a blog as part of my Bachelor studies in Scotland (which was also pretty fun! I'll always associate this blog with my favourite professor ever :). Last year, I tried blogging again, but it felt a wee bit forced. Now I feel ready though! And I'm super excited (ugh, time to get a Thesaurus... did I mention that I feel like my English skills have been a bit lacklustre lately? Hopefully blogging will help me out in that department. Oh and did I also mention that once I start talking/writing, it's not that easy for me to stop? *blogging fail*).  Anyhoos...

To start off, I'd like to share some pics of an architecture exhibition I visited today...